The young man was completely taken aback.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were desperate to grow extra hands and feet to stop him. They finally managed to drag Xie Lian down, but Xie Lian waved them off, saying, "I know! No need to say it! I know I broke the rules, just pretend you didn't hear anything, won't you? As long as you don't say anything, no one will know. Just this once. Don't mention it, you hear?"
Mu Qing wore an expression as if he had been forced to eat a sock, shaking his head and muttering, "How can you say 'live for me' so righteously, it's just..."
Xie Lian hadn't thought much of it initially, but hearing his words, his face turned scarlet. Feng Xin immediately put on a stern face, saying, "Alright, His Highness said not to talk about it, so why bring it up?" But his mouth twitched. Xie Lian couldn't stand it any longer and argued, "Come on, what I said was useful. Look."
The young man sat dumbfounded for a while, and when he no longer heard Xie Lian's voice, he rubbed his face vigorously, took the offering tray from the table, held it in his arms, and started eating the dried fruits and cakes inside, chewing fiercely with an air of a pitiful yet fierce little creature. Xie Lian bent down to watch him, smiled, and said to the other two, "See, it worked. He wasn't eating before, but now he's eating."
Mu Qing said, "Alright, alright, it worked. You are a god, after all."
Feng Xin also said, "Right, right, it worked. You are a god, after all."
"......" Xie Lian said seriously, "Yes, I am a god. The reason I called you here is indeed that I have made a decision."
At this point, the briefly relaxed atmosphere grew heavy again. Feng Xin asked, "What are we going to do?" Mu Qing followed with, "Are we still taking care of it?"
Xie Lian said, "We are taking care of it. It's simple. If there's not enough water in the Divine Joy Kingdom, we go to other countries outside of the Divine Joy Kingdom."
Mu Qing hesitated, "Going to other countries? Wouldn't that be too far? We might need to borrow some treasures from water-related divine officials, and the officials stationed in other countries might not be willing."
Xie Lian had naturally thought of this and said, "I'll go have a try first. It's better than doing nothing. You two stay here in Eternal Peace, continue dealing with the serious disaster areas first, and I'll head up to the Heavenly Court. Any issues?"
Feng Xin said, "No issues. I'll hold the fort here."
Mu Qing thought for a moment and then asked, "Then, Your Highness, what about the prayers from the believers at the Crown Prince Hall?"
Xie Lian replied, "That's also something I wanted to mention. Just handle the urgent ones for me, will you? If it's not urgent, you can put it off."
Though Mu Qing didn't seem optimistic, he still said, "You are the Crown Prince, so your word goes. However, I suggest not putting it off for too long."
Xie Lian patted both their shoulders. Feng Xin and Mu Qing bowed and then retreated. Once again, Xie Lian was left alone in the small shrine with the child. He walked out of the shrine, glanced back, and then without further delay, headed straight for the Immortal Capital.
He initially intended to visit a few water-related divine officials, but strangely, the first few officials happened to be absent from the Immortal Capital, with only an official known as the Rain Master not residing there. Xie Lian hurried through the Immortal Capital streets and was approached by a black-clad female official carrying several volumes of scrolls, who greeted him with a smile, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you're finally back."
Xie Lian quickly said, "Miss Nan Gong, just in time. Do you know the whereabouts of the Rain Master's residence?"
This black-clad lady was named Nan Gong Jie, a lower-ranking official of the lower Heavenly Court. After Xie Lian's ascension, much of the miscellaneous work was handed and managed by her. Therefore, she was well-informed and efficient, which gave Xie Lian a good impression. Nan Gong Jie said, "The Rain Master hasn't built a residence yet and is temporarily staying in Rain Master Country to the south." She pointed out the location of the Rain Master's dwelling, and then asked, "Why are you looking for that official?"
Xie Lian said, "It's urgent, thank you." He was about to leave, but then turned back, cleared his throat, and awkwardly said, "By the way, Nan Gong, since you're familiar with the divine officials of the Heavenly Court, could you possibly tell me if the Rain Master has any... particular likes?"
Typically, when a new official ascends, the astute ones would visit all the divine official's temples in court to offer gifts. This is essentially a customary courtesy. However, because Xie Lian's ascension happened suddenly, no one guided him at first.
By the time the national teacher reminded him, it was already past the optimal time, making later gestures feel awkward. Additionally, such acts inevitably draw associations with earthly corruption and bribery, something the Crown Prince found distasteful.
He decided to let nature take its course, believing there would eventually be a chance to earnestly and appropriately close the gap with the divine officials.
Initially proud, now he was acting out of character, proactively asking an official’s preferences, seemingly preparing to bribe someone. This understandably made him feel ashamed. Yet, he had no choice. Those residing in the Immortal Capital had at least spoken to him through the Spirit Communication Array, allowing for negotiation when conditions arose. The Rain Master, however, had no prior interaction; Xie Lian felt embarrassed to let people think he would borrow artifacts without something in return.
Nan Gong Jie immediately understood and said, "I'm afraid I can't help Your Highness with that. The Rain Master is a low-profile person. It's not just me; it's likely that no one in the whole heavenly realm knows what this official personally prefers. Sorry about that."
Xie Lian's face turned a bit red, saying, "It's fine, no need to concern yourself, thank you."
Nan Gong Jie added, "However, if you have urgent business, you might try directly visiting. The Rain Master's temperament... may just permit you a meeting."
Xie Lian thanked her again and headed south as per her directions, arriving at the temporary residence of the Rain Master.
It was a small village surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with beautiful scenery, though he had no heart to appreciate it. Walking through the rice fields, he finally saw a stone monument inscribed with the word "Rain."
According to the rule, crossing this monument meant entering the Rain Master's territory, and it was expected that the people active here would be the Rain Master's subordinates. However, as Xie Lian walked around, all he saw were lush green fields with mooing cattle, rotating water wheels, diligent farmers planting rice, and a crooked little straw hut by the fields.
There was no hint of immortal elegance, making Xie Lian wonder if he had come to the wrong place. Could this really be just a rundown, secluded farming village?
While he was questioning himself, the black ox plowing the field suddenly let out a few long moos, stood up on its hind legs, stretched its front hooves, and removed the plough by itself. The large body shrank, and the long cow nose contracted. In no time, it transformed from a sleek black ox into a shirtless farmer.
That farmer was tall and strong, with well-defined muscles, a rugged face, and a shiny iron nose ring like the ox. He had a stalk of grass in his mouth. And yet, the other farmers continued working as if they were used to such startling transformations. Xie Lian realized these weren't ordinary mortals and approached, cupping his hands, "Excuse me, Daoist friend, is the Rain Master residing here?"
The farmer, transformed from the black ox, pointed to the shore, "Right there. The Rain Master lives in that place."
"......"
Xie Lian looked several times to confirm that the direction indicated contained only that humble, easily-collapsible, leak-prone straw hut.
Even his most meager Crown Prince temple looked more dignified and well-appointed compared to that small hut. Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel peculiar. It was said the Rain Master was, like him, a royal descendant of the Rain Master Country before ascending. Because of that, he hadn’t brought any rare gems as gifts, assuming the Rain Master, like himself, wouldn’t be interested in such things. How had the Rain Master ended up so destitute after ascension? Perhaps, it was another form of cultivation.
Observing the customary courtesies, he thanked the farmer and stepped close to the hut, calling out, "Rain Master, I am the Crown Prince Xie Lian of the Divine Joy Kingdom. I humbly visit without prior notice; please pardon the intrusion."
There was no sound from inside. The farmer dragging the plough came up, saying, "Oh? You’re the famous seventeen-year-old Crown Prince who ascended?"
Xie Lian said, "Ashamed to admit."
The farmer said, "Nothing to be ashamed of, it’s a fact. However, the Rain Master doesn’t like seeing people and recently got injured, probably can't come out to meet you."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lian felt a little disappointed but still, with the intention to try, he asked, "Could you relay a message for me? I have urgent matters to discuss. If there are any inconveniences for the Rain Master, I won’t insist."
The farmer chuckled, "No need for me to pass messages; we all know why you’re here. Divine Joy Kingdom is short on water, and it doesn’t feel pleasant, does it?"
Startled at the directness, Xie Lian asked, “You know about the Divine Joy Kingdom’s situation?”
The farmer replied, "Of course I know. It's not just us in this poor and remote corner who knows; your kingdom is facing imminent disaster and who doesn’t know your affairs now? Some may even be happy about it. Haha. You’re here to borrow the Rain Master's treasures to help relieve the disaster, right?"
With his intentions exposed, Xie Lian realized that those divine officials of the Heavenly Court, knowing his purpose, deliberately avoided him by pretending not to be at home. Or perhaps they had already kept their distance, avoiding getting involved in this trouble. He sighed, wondering, "Should I have visited every temple in the beginning, so future dealings would be easier?" And then, feeling somewhat discouraged, he quietly said, "Indeed, that’s the case. If it’s inconvenient for the Rain Master, I certainly won’t persist."
The farmer said, "Why won’t you persist? Because of pride? This is a matter of your people's survival. Shouldn't you be tenacious? Are you so fragile that a tiny bit of pride can't be set aside? Young people shouldn’t be so impatient. No offense, but the Rain Master helping you is a kindness; not helping you is their right. Lending it if they're in a good mood, not lending it means you shouldn't complain later."
Xie Lian knew what he said was reasonable, but at that moment he was extremely frustrated, and combined with the unfriendly tone, made his anger rise slightly. He raised his head and said earnestly, "I understand what you say, and I certainly won’t complain in secret, so why think so little of me beforehand?
I said I wouldn't persist because I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble and make the Rain Master uncomfortable. But if all it takes is persistence to borrow the artifact, I’d willingly offer eight thousand palaces in exchange and kneel down to knock a hundred times for you, why wouldn't I?”
The farmer laughed loudly, “You’re angry? Such a childlike temper. Catch!"
He tossed something to Xie Lian, who caught a green bamboo hat that had been slung on the farmer’s back. Xie Lian asked, "What is this?"
The farmer said, "What you wanted to borrow. The Rain Master told me to give it to you before you came. Use it carefully, if it gets damaged, we'll not spare you.”
Astounded, Xie Lian asked, "Why?"
The farmer said, "Why, didn’t I say? Lending it means they’re in a good mood. Other divine officials won’t lend you, but the Rain Master insists on doing so. The Rain Master does as they please."
Xie Lian thanked profusely, "Thank you! Thank you!"
But the farmer said, "Don't be too happy too soon, Your Highness. Although the Rain Master ascended earlier than you, they have fewer believers, and their spiritual power isn’t as great as yours; being injured only makes it that much weaker. All they can do is lend you this.
And as for the rest, it'll rely on you. Distant water won’t quench a nearby fire, and this Rain Master's hat can only bring rain, not create water. Your Divine Joy Kingdom is running out of water and must go to other countries to borrow.
Those other countries may not be willing, only the Rain Master Country has excess. Yet it is so far away, every use will consume a large portion of your spiritual power. No matter how much spiritual power you have, there will come a time when it’s exhausted."
Xie Lian understood all too well, knowing what a great difficulty it is to lend one’s own treasure to a stranger. He bowed deeply toward the hut, "I am already most grateful for the help extended by the Rain Master. Such great kindness cannot be thanked with words. If there are any tasks I can assist with in the future, please feel free to command. Farewell!"
With the borrowed treasure, he immediately sought out a lake or river in the south, used the Rain Master's hat to scoop up a large amount of lake water, and covered a thousand miles, returning to Eternal Peace in the Divine Joy Kingdom. He found the village most severely affected by drought, Long Er Bay, and turned the hat over on the clouds.
Immediately, a light rain began to fall from the sky. Xie Lian jumped off the clouds, his feet touching the ground. The half-dead villagers could hardly believe it; some rushed out to frolic in the rain, cheering, while others hurriedly brought out large basins and tubs used for washing faces and feet to catch the rain.
Seeing this, Xie Lian sighed in relief, finally showing a smile. Then a voice called out from afar, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
He turned back to see Mu Qing coming from behind a tree, face half-darkened. Seeing Mu Qing's expression, Xie Lian sensed bad news and asked, "What happened? What's the matter?"